Christie discusses sports betting case

The governor of New Jersey criticised people who are against the legalisation of sports betting.

US.- New Jersey’s case against PASPA, the Protection Act that only allows a short number of states to offer sports betting, is getting closer to its oral hearings that will take place on December 4 and Chris Christie has once again criticised those who are against it with no actual reasons.

The governor of New Jersey called the national sports leagues hypocrites for their stance on the modality. Christie is demanding the same conditions for New Jersey than the ones Nevada enjoyed for decades: “The hypocrisy is just so overwhelming. They say because we have the Giants and the Jets and the Devils that somehow we shouldn’t be allowed to have gambling here because somehow it will threaten the integrity of the game. Well, you kidding? How isn’t it threatening the integrity of the game in Las Vegas for the NHL and the NFL?”

“I mean that’s why they no longer have moral high ground on this. They cannot make the integrity of the game argument anymore…because they have now gone to the sports gambling capital of America and put two of the four major sports now, having teams in that city. It’s over,” added Christie.

Last week, representatives from the National Collegiate Athletes Association, the NBA, NHL and NFL gathered and showed its support to PASPA today in testimony at the US Supreme Court. Paul Clement, attorney that represents the leagues, talked about New Jersey’s claims that PASPA is unconstitutional: “New Jersey contends that PASPA violates the anti-commandeering doctrine because it requires New Jersey to maintain its pre-existing prohibitions on sports gambling. But PASPA does no such thing.” The leagues claim that the federal law have more weight than state laws, therefore the argument made by New Jersey that each state should determine whether they allow sports betting or not is unconstitutional.